Brad Stevens keeps a list of his NBA coaching mistakes

Celtics coach Brad Stevens has never lost this much before.(Photo: Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY Sports)

WASHINGTON — In six seasons as coach of the Butler Bulldogs, Brad Stevens lost 49 games.

In his first season as coach of the Boston Celtics, Stevens has lost 54, with five to play. He won more games with Butler in 2007-08 and 2009-10 than he will win with the Celtics this season — in fewer than half as many games played.

Late in season with nothing to play for, Stevens embraces the constant challenge.

"As we go through this and as difficult as it is for all of us, that's one of the things that every day is keeping me focused and fresh on attacking this," Stevens said.

Stevens knew this would be a difficult season. Just before hiring him, Celtics President Danny Ainge began the rebuilding process, trading Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry to the Brooklyn Nets.

It's a major reason why Ainge and Stevens agreed on a long-term deal. Stevens wanted security in the rebuild, and Ainge, incredibly supportive of Stevens, wanted to give him time to work through some difficult seasons.

He took over a young team, save for point guard Rajon Rondo, who missed more than half of the season recovering from an injury; forwards Gerald Wallace, Jeff Green and Brandon Bass; and forward-center Kris Humphries.

"It's been a challenging season, as you can imagine," Ainge said. "Brad has maintained optimism and has done a magnificent job managing our team. He's very smart. He works extremely hard. He has great integrity. Those are things he will always have, and those are great characteristics of being a leader. The outlook will be better next year just because he's been around the NBA a year."

Like many successful people, Stevens is his toughest critic.

"Any time you go through a year, you get better at it," Stevens said. "I haven't been near perfect by any means. In fact, I've got a list of things I want to do better. I've got a list of things I probably would do a little bit differently. I think I'm a better basketball coach as a result of this. But it's not easy to go through, but that's part of what makes you better at it."

Asked what is on that list, Stevens said, "I'd be happy to share it, but we don't have time."

April 14, 2014: Minnesota Timberwolves forward Corey Brewer goes crowd surfing in the middle of a game against the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors went on to win a 130-120 shootout, clinching the 6th seed in the playoffs.
Kelley L Cox, USA TODAY Sports

April 13, 2014: Paul George and his Indiana Pacers got a much-needed win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, as his squad jousts with the Miami Heat for the top playoff spot in the East.
Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports

March 18, 2014: On the day he was introduced as Knicks president, Phil Jackson joins former teammates Walt Frazier and Dick Barnett and Peter DeBusschere, son of Jackson teammate Dave.
William Perlman, The Star-Ledger, via USA TODAY Sports

March 3, 2014: The night belonged to LeBron James, who put on a show for the South Beach crowd with a career-high and Heat-record 61 points in a 124-107 win over the Bobcats.
Robert Mayer, USA TODAY Sports

March 2, 2014: Joakim Noah (13) sends Raymond Felton's (2) shot back where it came from as the Bulls rolled to a 109-90 win over the Knicks in Chicago. Noah wracked up a triple-double with 13 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists.
Mike Dinovo, USA TODAY Sports

Feb 26, 2014: Dwight Howard (12) beat Blake Griffin (32) for an alley-oop slam here, but it wasn't enough for the Rockets, who fell 101-93 to the Clippers in a matchup of Western Conference contenders.
Kelvin Kuo, USA TODAY Sports

Feb 24, 2014: Everyone knew he would take the shot, but the Knicks still couldn't stop Dirk Nowitzki (41), who hit the game-winning shot here at the buzzer to give the Mavericks a 110-108 win.
Anthony Gruppuso, USA TODAY Sports

Feb. 23, 2014: Brooklyn Nets center Jason Collins (46) attempts a shot during the second half against the Los Angeles Lakers. Collins became the first openly gay athlete to play in any of North America's four major professional sports.
Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports

Feb. 5, 2014: Sacramento center DeMarcus Cousins attempts to save the ball from going out of bounds during the third quarter in the Kings' game against the Toronto Raptors.
Ed Szczepanski, USA TODAY Sports

Jan. 26, 2014: It was another emotional night in Boston as Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett returned for the first time since being traded to the Nets in July. Each only scored six points, but Brooklyn came away with a 85-79 win.
Mark L. Baer, USA TODAY Sports

Jan. 25, 2014: Thunder star Kevin Durant had his game face on for a 103-91 win over the 76ers, finishing with 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists for his second triple-double of the season. Durant also scored 30 or more for the 10th consecutive game.
Howard Smith, USA TODAY Sports

Jan. 24, 2014: Carmelo Anthony was all smiles after he delighted the home crowd and lit up Madison Square Garden with a franchise and arena-record 62 points in the Knicks' 125-96 win over the Bobcats.
Noah K. Murray, USA TODAY Sports

Jan. 12, 2014: C.J. Miles (0) couldn't get to the bucket here against Jason Thompson (34), just as the Cavaliers had a tough time scoring against the Kings in a 124-80 loss. Sacramento's 44-point blowout was the biggest rout of the NBA season so far.
Kelley L. Cox, USA TODAY Sports

Jan. 10, 2014: In an NBA first, the Heat and Nets wore jerseys with nicknames on the back. "The Truth" Paul Pierce (34) and the Nets got the better of "King James" LeBron James and the Heat in a 104-95 double-overtime win.
Joe Camporeale, USA TODAY Sports

Jan. 5, 2014: A frustrated Jose Calderon pleads his case with an official during the Mavericks' home loss to the Knicks. New York frustrated Dallas into a season low in points in a 92-80 win.
Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports

Jan. 4, 2014: Kevin Love, right, got the better of Kevin Durant in this collision of All-Stars, but Durant and the Thunder got the better of Love and the Timberwolves on the scoreboard in Oklahoma City's 115-111 win.
Jesse Johnson, USA TODAY Sports

Jan. 1, 2014: Monta Ellis (11) played some tough defense on John Wall (2) here as the Mavericks locked down on the Wizards in the fourth quarter of an 87-78 win in Washington.
Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports

Dec. 23, 2013: In the epitome of a size mismatch, the 7-0 Dirk Nowitzki shoots over the 6-3 Jeremy Lin during a Mavericks win over the Rockets. Nowtizki scored a game-high 31 points to move into 13th place on the all-time scoring list.
Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports

Dec. 21, 2013: Damian Lillard does it all for the Portland Trail Blazers. The reigning Rookie of the Year hit the floor to corral a loose ball here and later hit the go-ahead three-pointer in a 110-107 home win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Steve Dykes, USA TODAY Sports

Dec. 19, 2013: No Big 3 was no problem for the Spurs. Even with Tim Duncan cheering from the bench and Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker also out, San Antonio edged Golden State on the road 104-102.
Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports

Dec. 14, 2013: Washington point guard John Wall (2) wasn't happy with a call here or the Wizards' play in a 113-97 home loss to the Clippers. Wall finished with 24 points and 12 assists, but his Los Angeles counterpart Chris Paul answered with 38 points and 12 dimes.
Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports

Dec. 11, 2013: It was an emotional night in Boston when former coach Doc Rivers returned to the TD Garden as a visitor. Rivers received a standing ovation during a video tribute to his nine years with the Celtics.
Greg M. Cooper, USA TODAY Sports

Dec. 8, 2013: It was thumbs up all around in Laker Land when Kobe Bryant made his season debut eight months after suffering a torn Achilles tendon. Bryant's return was not enough, though, as Los Angeles lost to the Toronto Raptors.
Richard Mackson, USA TODAY Sports

Dec. 6, 2013: Rockets guard James Harden (13) drives the ball on a fast break during the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors at the Toyota Center in Houston.
Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports

Dec. 5, 2013: Iman Shumpert (21) and Andray Blatche (0) shared just a few of the many heated words exchanged between the Knicks and Nets in the battle of New York. Shumpert and the Knicks routed Blatche and the Nets in the first of four meetings this season.
Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports

Nov. 23, 2013: Tempers flare during a third-quarter altercation between the Blazers and Warriors in Oakland. The fracas led to three ejections and six technical fouls during Portland's come-from-behind win.
Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports

Stevens makes a list after every season, but this is a different kind of season. He's not used to losing like this. He will evaluate everything he did this season, from player rotations to practice schedules to offensive and defensive strategies and so many aspects of coaching in between.

Stevens is detailed, dedicated and determined – all factors that give him the chance to be successful. He looks for ways to make players better individually and as a group, and he constantly probes for ways to exploit opponents. He is not relying on his skills as a college coach to prosper in the NBA.

Ainge is impressed by the way he has handled the locker room.

"I like his way of communicating," Ainge said. "I know if I were a player, I would've appreciated it. He's very open and honest. He's matter of fact, and he holds guys accountable. Guys want to be coached, and they want to be told. He puts in the time to communicate to players collectively and individually."

Second-year forward Jared Sullinger said, "He's learning. We're all learning. But he's doing a great job. He thinks he's made a lot of mistakes but he's teaching himself how to win in this league. With Brad, everyone has an open opportunity, and I like that."

With a mostly young roster and two first-round picks in both 2014 and 2015, the Celtics have assets to improve, and Ainge will do what he can to give Stevens the best team possible as quickly as possible.

An 82-game season, the losing and the travel is a long way from Butler's back-to-back appearances in the NCAA championship game in 2010 and 2011. This season, he played in the same NBA arenas Butler won in during those remarkable NCAA runs a few seasons ago – not-so-subtle reminders of what he left behind.

As much as Stevens is analytical about his performance, he also is philosophical about his general approach.

"Keeping myself motivated is not hard," Stevens said. "I've been really fortunate to have coached in some moments that you can only dream about coaching in. The day after, you wake up and you try to do it again. When things don't go your way, the day after you wake up and try to get better and be as good as you can be the next day."

Michael Carter Williams of the Philadelphia 76ers wins USA TODAY Sports' rookie of the year award, drawing eight of 10 first-place votes for 42 points after holding first place most of the season. Here are his runners-up.
Howard Smith, USA TODAY Sports